My Happiness Doesn't Mean Your Misery
by By the Light of Dawn
Summary: Maleficent somehow rises from the dead. She has a plan to make Regina happy. But not even Regina knows what her happiness will cost and why Maleficent wants to help her. The Charming family try to figure out these mysteries before things get out of hand.


Regina watched as Emma embraced Neal, minutes after he came out of the portal. Then Henry joined the hug, delighted that he had both his parents again. Then Snow and David wrapped their arms around the three of them, beaming happily. Lastly, Rumplestiltskin was invited to join them by Neal.

Regina felt a prickle of jealousy as she watched the happy family reunite. She was not part of their family. She was an outsider. She was the Evil Queen who had separated them and caused them so much misery. They even cared for Rumplestiltskin more than they cared for her.

Regina had been watching the Charming family so intently that she failed to notice that a woman coming up behind her. Regina only noticed when the woman put a hand on her arm. Regina spun around to see Maleficent smiling at her. Seconds later, red smoke surrounded them both and they were no longer at the docks but inside Regina's house.

"Would you like a drink, Regina, my old friend?" Maleficent asked nonchalantly as though she wasn't supposed to be dead. She walked into the kitchen. Regina had no choice but to follow her.

"Maleficent? How? I thought Miss Swan killed you?" Regina asked, shocked.

"I thought so too," Maleficent answered calmly, as though they were discussing the weather. "But I woke up in my human form a month ago. I looked for you, only to find out, by asking around town, that you had gone searching for your son. Or is he Miss Swan's son now that she rescued him and he's back with his birth family.?" Regina gave her a sharp look. "Now now, Regina. Let me have my fun, I did let you imprison me for almost thirty years."

"Let me?" Regina scoffed. "I defeated you because you were distracted by your love for your pet."

Maleficent chuckled as she poured some red wine into two glasses. "I could have easily escaped. I just thought I'd let you win because you were still seething about losing to Snow White." Regina said nothing as she accepted the offered glass. "Oh my, have you nothing to say to that? Are you becoming soft, Regina?"

"What do you want, Maleficent?" Regina questioned annoyed, ignoring the dark fairy's jibe.

"I want to help you, of course," Maleficent answered her with a smile.

"Why on earth, would you want to help me?" Regina inquired, stunned.

"Because, as you said yourself, I'm your only friend," Maleficent explained. "After all, you've successfully scared off all the others who wanted to be your friend besides Rumplestiltskin but he was just using you so he doesn't count. Anyway, you locked that Princess Abigail up and tried to separate her from her true love. You've been trying to kill Snow for a while now and you framed her for murder. Every time, Miss Swan is nice to you, you do something horrible. And I won't even mention that poor Owen."

"You know an awful lot of what happened in Storybrooke even though, you were locked up under the clock tower for twenty eight years," Regina said suspiciously.

"I told you, I asked around. And oddly enough, they were quite open with me," Maleficent said innocently. Regina gave her a skeptical look. "Oh all right, I may have used some magic to get them to talk but nothing serious. Now back to you. I intend to help you get your happy ending whether you like it or not."

"And you want to do this, out of the goodness of your heart even though I imprisoned you for so long," Regina guessed sarcastically.

"Regina, unlike you, I don't hold grudges. However, there is something, I want in exchange for my help," Maleficent told her with an impish smirk. "And believe me, when I tell you how I'm going to help you, you will be very willing to make a deal with me."

Regina's eyes narrowed. She doubted very much that Maleficent could help her in anyway. But the way Maleficent had spoken about her rise from the dead, made Regina suspect that Maleficent knew more about it then she was letting on.

"What do you have to offer?" Regina asked coolly.

* * *

"So what happens now?" Neal asked curiously, as they walked back to town. Neal had one arm wrapped around Emma's waist and the other around Henry's shoulders. "Are we staying here or are we going back to the Enchanted Forest."

Snow lifted her head from David's shoulder. "I don't know. Belle, has Anton grown anymore magic beans?" Snow questioned.

"Well it was supposed to be a surprise for tomorrow. But yes, the dwarfs and Anton have been hard at work," Belle replied.

"So we can go to the Enchanted Forest where we can fight ogres and dragons?" Henry asked excitedly.

"You will not be fighting anything until you're at least eighteen," Emma said sternly. Henry groaned.

"But it's never too early to learn," Neal remarked. "How about I teach you a little sword fighting tomorrow?"

"That sounds great," Henry told him, beaming at him.

"Well let's go have some dinner at Granny's," David suggested. "I'm sure everyone is eager to see us."

"Rumplestiltskin, you've been awfully quiet. Everything okay?" Bella whispered in his ear.

Rumplestiltskin blinked and shook his head because he had been lost in his thoughts. "I just have the oddest feeling that something's not right," he answered softly, making sure that no one besides Belle had heard him.

"What is it?" Belle asked quietly.

"I don't know. But I think, I should stop by Regina's house tonight just to make sure, she's not up to something," Rumplestiltskin replied.

"What are you two whispering about?" David questioned.

"We were just wondering where Regina went," Rumplestiltskin answered. "I assumed she'd be joining us for dinner."

"She probably wouldn't feel welcome," Emma remarked. "After what happened at the last welcome home party, I don't really blame her."

"Well maybe we should go check on her. Just in case," Snow suggested.

"I don't think that's such a good idea, Snow. Regina probably just wants to be left alone," David guessed.

"All right, I suppose that's true," Snow said unsure.

Snow caught Henry's eye and Henry nodded. Only Rumplestiltskin saw the secret glace between grandmother and grandson. He hoped Regina wasn't doing anything bad. Because in about twenty minutes, Snow and Henry would be racing over to her house as soon as the others weren't looking.


End file.
